Even the smallest margin can make a huge difference when it comes to betting on a race like the Kentucky Derby and when it comes to American Pharoah it’s his jockey Victor Espinoza that is expected to give him the greater edge in this race. Espinoza helped California Chrome win this race 12 months ago and he already has two Kentucky Derby victories on his resume so it’s no surprise that his horse is the favorite considering it’s already the most likely horse to win in this group regardless. American Pharoah’s excellent endurance will be among the biggest keys to its success and the ability to make snap decisions in the midst of the race is crucial and that is where Espinoza’s experience will really pay off the most. Anything can happen in The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports but American Pharoah has all of the attributes of a horse that should be favored to win.

The Contenders

Dortmund +325

Like American Pharoah, Dortmund is another Bob Baffert trained horse that has ahead a lot of success so far winning all six of his races to this point. Dortmund was also fortunate to get probably the best post-position of any horse listed among the favorites so if there is one horse that really has a strong chance at edging out American Pharoah it should be Dortmund.

Carpe Diem +900

Carpe Diem is the first of two horses on this list trained by Todd Pletcher and was listed even closer behind Dortmund before his post-position was revealed and it was learned he will start from the No. 2 spot. Starting on the inside track is never favorable and while this horse has the potential to overcome that starting spot it certainly won’t help Carpe Diem’s chances of competing with American Pharoah and Dortmund for the victory.

Materiality +1400

Anybody that is cautious about taking Carpe Diem from the No. 2 starting position will likely be just as wary when it comes to taking Materiality after it was announced that this horse will start from the No. 3 spot. The second of Pletcher’s top two horses that also happened to have a terrible post draw, Materiality will also be overlooked in many aspects but could still be among the top contenders to place.

Sleeper Pick

Far Right +3300

The best potential sleeper pick on the board is a horse that finished second to American Pharoah in the Arkansas Derby in Far Right. Another Pletcher entry, Far Right was a back-to-back winner in the Southwest Stakes and the Smarty Jones. The fact that this horse finished second to American Pharoah at the Arkansas Derby alone is reason to feel confident about its chances and at long odds it makes a lot of sense to take Far Right as a sleeper pick to at least place in this weekend’s Kentucky Derby.